Welcome to our January 2022 new joiners

BRONWYN MUIR

Bronwyn joined the South African office in January 2022 as a Graduate Actuarial Software Developer. She studied Actuarial Science at Stellenbosch University, graduating with an honours degree in 2021. She is excited about the opportunity to blend actuarial techniques with technology whilst working on the Gadget team.

In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking and spending time with her pets.

Fun fact: Growing up, Bronwyn always preferred Animal Planet to any other channel on TV – sparking many sibling arguments.

CHRIS VILJOEN

Chris joined Dynamo in South Africa in January 2022 as a Junior Software Developer. He graduated from Nelson Mandela University in December 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science.

Chris loves problem solving and will jump at the chance to help with any problems. He has made to the move from East London to Stellenbosch and is very excited to start working at Dynamo. In his spare time Chris enjoys experimenting with new baking recipes.

Fun fact: Chris is almost 2 meters tall and claims to make very good pancakes, which is something we are all excited to try!

DANIËL DU PLESSIS

Daniël joined in January 2022 as a Graduate Actuary in the South African office. Daniël graduated from Stellenbosch University at the end of 2021 with an honours degree in Actuarial Science. He is excited to join Dynamo and gain valuable experience in the actuarial and software field. He also aims to qualify as a Fellow Actuary and increase his industry knowledge.

He loves outdoor activities such as golf, cricket, hockey, jogging and hiking. He also loves spending time with friends, family and having a lekker braai on weekends. He always strives to the best in all walks of life and building good relationships.

Fun fact: Makes a great Lasagne potjie.

JASON DUNBAR

Jason joined the Stellenbosch office in January 2022 as part of the new Data Analytics Engineering team. Jason graduated with a BSc Hons in Molecular Cell Biology from the University of Cape Town in 2019. He previously completed a BSc specialising in Biochemistry and Genetics. His academic background is further complemented with a Data Science diploma from Explore Data Science Academy.

Jason is passionate about finding unique solutions to problems, particularly if it means that he will have to grow his technical skillset in the process. His skills include Python, SQL and machine learning and he would also love to add R (and any coding language which will assist in his work) to that list. Furthermore, he is never one to turn down the opportunity to dissect and analyse anything sporting-related, probably because of the outcome of a sports match can be determined by a myriad of inter-connected variables. Whilst not gifted in the sporting arena himself, Jason still loves getting outdoors and being active. His favourite activities include running (not as much trail running as he’d like), hiking and walking his three dogs.

Fun fact: Jason rode his first Cape Town Cycle Tour (Argus) at the age of 13. However, since then, he has retired from such endeavours, but were he come out of retirement, he would undoubtedly focus more on coffee stops as opposed to achieving a personal best time.

MARINA SMUTS

Marina completed het BCom Actuarial Science (Hons) degree at Stellenbosch University in 2020. She started her career as a quantitative analyst in the banking environment. During this time, she gained exposure to SAS and SQL.

Marina joins the South African office as a Data Analytics Analyst. She is looking forward to the growth opportunities the role presents as she navigates her way to becoming a Fellow.

Aside from the work-related activities, Marina enjoys spending time with friends and family. She loves cooking and experimenting with new recipes and flavours. Her favourite hobby is building puzzles – always ensuring that she puts in the last piece.

Fun fact: If there is any competition online, you can be sure Marina has entered.